Chemical Weapons Working Group
P.O. Box 467; Berea, KY 40403
(606) 986-7565 (606) 986-2695 (fax)
e-mail: kefwilli@acs.eku.edu web: www.cwwg.org

for further information: Craig Williams: (606) 986-7565 or local contacts listed below

for immediate release: Tuesday September 15, 1998

NEW TOXICITY DATA VOIDS CHEM. WEAPONS INCINERATOR SAFETY CLAIMS: NRC FINDS NERVE GAS EXPOSURES MORE DANGEROUS THAN ASSUMED

Community Groups Call for Immediate Halt to Burning Deadly Chemical Warfare Agents

Citing a recently published report from the National Research Council (NRC), citizens groups across the country have escalated their demand for an immediate halt to the Army's incineration of chemical warfare (CW) agents.

The December 1997 NRC report, "Review of Acute Human-Toxicity Estimates for Selected Chemical-Warfare Agents," found that substantially lower levels of nerve agent exposure than those estimated by the Army can produce acute health effects, including death.

Craig Williams, spokesperson for the Chemical Weapons Working Group (CWWG) said, "The 'safe' low-level exposure standards used for workers and the general public in the Army's incineration program are based on the acute and lethal exposure standards the NRC has determined to be invalid. How can this be considered protective of the workers and the public?"

The NRC found the Army's current acute and lethal exposure estimates to be "based on a limited toxicity data base.... inadequate..." and, ".... based on experiments often poorly controlled with vastly different protocols." The NRC also stated that, "By current standards of toxicity, the toxicity data base for the agents is inadequate, and such inadequacy is a major obstacle to the Army in developing human toxicity estimates with statistical confidence and in developing risk management strategies."

"We agree with the NRC recommendation that the Army 'convene an expert panel to develop a research strategy for deriving more scientifically sound toxicity values for the agents of concern'," Williams said. "Until that happens we want the burning to stop."

The Army's Health Risk Assessment, Quantitative Risk Assessment, Emissions Monitoring Systems and Emergency Response Program, currently in place at agent incineration facilities, all rely on the old estimates for nerve gas toxicity. Yet, federal law requires the disposal program to ensure "maximum protection" for the public during disposal operations.

Dr. Richard Clapp, an epidemiologist with the John Snow Institute's Center for Environmental Health Studies and expert in public health said, "Based on my reading of the NRC report, I am convinced that the range of health effects from exposure to chemical agent GB have not been fully recognized, nor adequately protected against. I think it is clear that more research on long-term health effects of low-level exposure needs to be done, and in the meantime, more stringent controls need to be put in place to avoid human exposure to this chemical agent."

Williams said, "Currently the Army wants us, the citizens downwind, to accept these flawed exposure standards as being protective. It's preposterous when you consider that low levels of agent will continue coming from the stacks of these incinerators."

NRC researchers concluded, "Recalculations of the potencies of several of the chemical warfare agents indicate that their potencies are greater than previously determined. As a result, lower levels of CW agent are expected to elicit adverse effects." For example, the Army currently uses estimates which say a cubic meter of air containing 70 milligrams (mg) of agent GB (Sarin) would kill 50% of any given population after a one minute exposure. A 1994 Army study proposed lowering that to 35mg, but the NRC report says even that exposure estimate is still not adequately protective. The information in both the 1994 study and the NRC report has been ignored by the Army and is not incorporated in the exposure standards currently being used in the disposal program.

"Ignoring this information," said Cindy King, of the Utah Sierra Club, "shows a complete disregard for the public health in Utah where the Army is currently burning GB. Army officials have known for years their exposure estimates are wrong, yet they choose not to incorporate their own studies and the NRC's findings into their safety plan."

"Containment is the key," said Williams, "there are alternative disposal approaches that, unlike incineration, can contain all agents in normal or upset conditions that are being developed and demonstrated under a 1996 Congressional law. Incineration ensures CW agents will be released. To knowingly expose civilians to any level of this material is unacceptable and unconscionable."

Based on the new NRC report, the CWWG groups are petitioning governors and regulatory agencies in states where chemical weapons incinerators are currently operating or under construction to "immediately halt all further operations or construction until these issues are addressed."

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The NRC Report (DAMD 17-89-C-9086) is available at: National Academy Press (800) 624-6242.

A copy of a CWWG Report linking acute/lethal dosage studies to worker/civilian exposure estimates is available from the CWWG Office or click here.

CWWG Home Page

Contact us: Chemical Weapons Working Group Kentucky Environmental Foundation P.O. Box 467 Berea, KY 40403 phone: 859-986-7565 fax: 859-986-2695 For comments about this WWW page contact Lois Kleffman.